Patient Comments: Double Vision - Causes

Question:

Comment from: iammax, 75 or over Female (Patient)Published: February 19

About ten months ago, I had double vision while watching TV with closed captioning due to my hearing problem, and it continued for several months. I see two side by side, but closed captions are still a bit blurry. After seeing an ophthalmologist first, he said I should see a neurologist as soon as possible because I had a mini stroke. Two neurologists and a CT later, I was told no mini stroke. After eight months I went to another ophthalmologist who said it was a weak muscle and sent me to another who wants to inject Botox in my eye.

Comment from: Frank, 35-44 Male (Patient)Published: June 05

I woke up seeing double (one image on top the other) but only when I looked straight or to the left. After several tests the neurologist was thinking I had myasthenia gravis but wasn't sure. I visited the neuro-ophthalmologist who believes I had a micro-stroke and that is what caused the double vision. She gave me some daily eye exercises to improve my vision and a follow up appointment in a month.

Comment from: Flfay, 65-74 Female (Patient)Published: April 10

I have more than double vision, I see 4 or 5 of everything, like window frames. I can block one eye and see fine in the other eye, vice versa, can block the other eye and see fine with other eye. This lasts approximately 1 minute or so. My doctor thinks it is multiple sclerosis and sending me for MRI with contrast.

Comment from: maryb, 75 or over Female (Patient)Published: October 18

My eye doctor says my eyes are very healthy, I have had my neck checked and it is clear, and I have had a CT scan of my brain. Nothing there to cause my problem. I have double vision episodes, image one above the other, and I also have spots in my eyes, like I have been looking into a bright light.

Comment from: Michaela, 19-24 Female (Patient)Published: September 14

Over the course of a couple of days, I began experiencing eye pain and blurry vision. Within a week or two, that developed into double vision. I hoped it would go away with heat applications, ice applications, eye drops, wearing different glasses prescriptions, etc. For about a month, I tried to treat it myself. Eventually, I saw an optometrist, who referred me to an ophthalmologist. One MRI later, I was referred to a neurologist, who diagnosed me with multiple sclerosis (MS) after a spinal tap and an MRI of my brain and spine. The double vision had already subsided on its own. I was put on disease-modifying medication for my MS almost immediately, and I have been feeling great since. Like most diseases, early MS treatment is likely to improve your long-term prognosis, so I'm actually grateful that I had such a bothersome symptom so early on. If you develop double vision, please hurry to get it checked out. Better to be safe than sorry.

Comment from: TeriK, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: May 02

I have 20/20 in each eye alone, but with both I have double vision side by side. I have seen several ophthalmologists and wear prisms to correct the double vision. My eyes are getting worse. A year ago I was diagnosed with Erdheim-Chester disease and on the treatment of Tafinlar 75 mg every 12 hours. Not sure it's helping, health is worse.

Comment from: Taylor S., 19-24 Female (Patient)Published: June 30

I developed strabismus in my right eye at a young age. I got an eye muscle operation that fixed my crossed eye, at the age of 7. During the operation my left eye turned in so therefore I had 2 eye operations. I've always had double vision with my turned eye, it goes away if I cover one of my eyes or if I wear glasses.

Comment from: Aung Thura, 19-24 Male (Patient)Published: May 05

Too much coffee and lack of sleep caused my double vision. I started to have double vision and blurred vision. I am taking most vitamins and using eye drops for 5 years. First my glass is -6.00 SPH and -0.25 CYL. My condition is better but double vision is not clear yet. My glass is now -1.50 SPH. I am looking for a doctor who can care for my eyes. I want to see a good neuro-ophthalmologist.

Comment from: mrs d, 65-74 Female (Patient)Published: February 17

I was seeing double but never said anything. On 12/30/07 I was admitted to the hospital for ruptured aneurysm. I had brain surgery the next day. My husband was told I had 5 percent chance of surviving; well, here I am 7 years later and doing well except personality changes due to damage in right frontal lobe of brain. I started seeing double again if my head is tilted to right. I asked my husband to look at my eyes to see if he could see anything different and it was my right eye wandering. I have not seen doctor for this.

I'm a single male, 70 years so far. I've had scintillating scotomas for the past 5 years from time to time. I was making the bed, pulling up the spread, suddenly I felt dizzy and wanted to fall to the left from a standing position. My vision then changed from single to double images, left image and right image. I could not bring them together into a single image. It scared the life out of me when I tried to walk. I cried and about 10 minutes later it went away. I then realized I had a TIA (transient ischemic attack. I went to the hospital emergency and after two days of MRI, CT, I was told it was a small stroke. I'm lucky so far at age 70, but when I read about strokes, it's a good chance this may happen again within 3 months or within one year. This episode may lead to a more severe stroke in the future. Not too nice to read about. I was prescribed Lipitor and Plavix. I must learn not to dwell in the future and at present I am under the care of a psychologist.

Comment from: Double Vision, 45-54 Male (Patient)Published: March 17

I have met with a minor accident with head injury, and I've been diabetic for the last 7 years. I have developed diplopia after recovering from the accident. Doctors are not sure of the reasons for having me developing double vision. An MRI of brain is taken and reviewed by a neurosurgeon, a course of tablets are for 15 days. There was improvement in vision, like I was able to see nearby items clearly and distance one as double objects. I have continued with vitamin tablets and now I am 80% recovered.

Comment from: Yvonne, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: February 26

I had my first diplopia experience in March 2013. I am a teacher and was on my lunch break. I have had a history of migraines and am also a Meniere's disease patient. With no warning as I turned around from the counter, I was suddenly seeing multiples, not just doubles but quadruples. The multiples were vertically aligned. My husband took me to the emergency room where I had several doctors working with me. I had an MRI, several different blood tests and numerous other exams. When I closed one eye, I could see normally; both eyes open, multiples. This lasted for approximately 18 hours. It was so scary as well as exasperating. All the tests came back clear and no actual cause was ever diagnosed. An ophthalmologist was called in after I had been at the emergency room about 12 hours and eventually after he tried several different types of drops, he was able to bring my vision back to a state of normalcy. I had no other episodes until today, nearly one year later. Today I only had double vision and it didn"t last, just less than an hour. It was still really scary.

Comment from: Valerie, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: October 31

When I was 30 years old, I woke up one day and had double vision. It took 3 weeks for it to go away. All tests were done and we couldn't find any issue except 6th optic nerve damage. Every 4 years going forward I would get double vision for weeks up to a month. I had so many tests and no insight. When I get migraines I sometimes get double vision in this past few years. They too would last a few weeks. I have side by side double vision and if I tilt my head to the left I was able to see ok, but straight on, double vision. This is getting old and not one specialist in Boston has been able to tell me why this happens.

Comment from: Patti, 65-74 Female (Patient)Published: June 17

The double vision came when I woke 6 weeks ago. When I went to doctor I was sent to an ophthalmologist. He dilated my eyes and decided he wanted to remove cataracts in my eyes first. I don't trust doctors that want to cut me especially if it doesn't fix the reason I came there for. So I went to a different doctor, because the first was an APN (advanced practice nurse). When I saw the doctor he did blood tests, again referring me to an eye doctor. Well, I'm here and I'm worried about it these are my eyes.

Comment from: 3jimmy7, 45-54 Male (Patient)Published: September 13

Comment about Double Vision: The first it was caused by a medication for depression. The name was Elivil. Alcohol can cause Double Vision. I not sharing more. This is my "Submission"

I've had problem with Double Vision for numbers of years, since around 1996. Went through multiple tests for my eyes, blood Vessel scans, MRIs, Cat Scans and you name it to try and find out what caused it. I would get double vision at any time, reading, watching TV, driving, eating, etc. It would not matter. Only lasted a couple of minutes, but was very, very scary. Then 1 day in 2005 or so, I got the double vision and it lasted almost all day long. Was taken to the hospital and being it was a holiday weekend, they didn't have any Doctors that would do any test on me. I would have to wait till after the Holiday they said. They could not find out what was causing it and I went home where it finally went away again. My primary Dr. Put me on Plavix and from that moment on, I have had no double vision episodes at all. Still don't know why I was getting them, but Plavix stopped it from happening. I am so thankful for Plavix since the double vision was a very, very scary thing to go through.

Comment from: Eileen, 75 or over Female (Patient)Published: May 20

I fell in October of 2012 and suffered trauma to my face, which required stitches from my eyebrow down on down, about 2 ½ inches. I also had to have stitches on the tip of my cheekbone, on the same side.

My double vision just appeared – no warning. My blood pressure has been high. I am wearing a patch over one eye one day; and the other eye the next day. I don't know how long this will last. I'm not sure what to do.

Comment from: drm77017, 55-64 Male (Patient)Published: June 12

I had a tumor in my right eye. I was treated for it with a radioactive plaque that was attached to my eyeball for a week and then removed. Since then, I experience double vision at times. Most often if I am tired or driving at night.